by Tia Siren
“Thank you,” she said, looking around the area.
“No one heard. Relax.”
“What are you doing here?” she asked in a hushed voice. “Did you call or text? I haven’t checked my phone.”
“No, I didn’t. I wanted to surprise you. I like to surprise you,” I said with my most charming smile.
She giggled. “Well, you certainly did that.”
“I want to take you to lunch.”
She sighed. “I can’t. I have a lunch meeting today. I’m am really sorry. You should have called,” she whispered. “I hate that you had to come all the way down here.”
I put on my charming smile. “I don’t mind. It’s not like I had anything else to do.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Cancel it,” I blurted out, surprising even myself.
“I can’t cancel. It’s an important client.”
“Send someone else,” I insisted. “Surely someone else can take the meeting.”
She smiled. “It isn’t that easy. This is my client. I can’t toss him to someone else. I’ve put a lot of time and energy into securing this client. I know you don’t understand, but this is my chance to prove my value to the company and possibly move up.”
“You can’t reschedule?”
“No.”
I let out a long sigh and purposely pouted. “How about dinner tonight? Don’t tell me you have a client meeting. Then I’ll know you’re blowing me off, and that will hurt my feelings.”
“Harry, I can’t,” she said, regret in her voice. “I’m not trying to blow you off. I have a busy week.”
“You can. You’re an adult. You can do anything”—I leaned forward and lowered my voice—“and anyone.”
She smiled. “You’re persistent, but I feel like I should tell you I’m stubborn. I take my work very seriously. Those pretty blue eyes aren’t going to change my mind.”
I grinned. “You said I have pretty eyes?” I said, batting my eyelashes.
She waved a hand. “Stop it. You know you do. You flash those things like a secret weapon.”
“Maybe I do. I am persistent. I’m tenacious. Please, I want to run a business proposal by you. I won’t keep you out past your bedtime.”
“I have a meeting first thing in the morning. I have to get my notes together tonight. I haven’t had time today, and I hate not being prepared.”
I shook my head. “You give so much of yourself to this company. Why are you putting this place over your wants and needs? What drives you to be so dedicated?”
She thought for a second. “The company’s been good to me. They are the only ones who would give me a chance when I first graduated. I actually like my job. I like being able to see a problem and negotiate it. I love problem solving, and that’s what I do all day.”
I sighed. I could see I wasn’t going to win her away from Martin Inc. I guessed I should have been glad we had her on our side. She was a valuable asset. As long as I was a part of the family, having her in our employ was good for me. However, I needed her to be my fake fiancée in order to stay a part of the family.
“Fine. What about tomorrow? I promise it is worth your while to listen to what I have to say. I need to talk to you about something really important.”
She smiled. “You’re not going to give up, are you?”
“Nope.”
She looked down and then met my eyes. “Fine.”
“Fine. What does that mean?” I asked hopefully. It wasn’t exactly an enthusiastic yes, which was what I’d been hoping for, but I would take what I could get.
“How about tomorrow night?” she asked.
I grinned. “That works for me.”
“Harry?” William’s voice cut through the otherwise quiet area.
I’d been hoping he would be gone. I didn’t want to see him. I rarely saw him more than once a month. I’d had about as much as I could handle this past week.
I turned around. “William.”
“What are you doing here?” he asked. The suspicion in his voice made me happy.
“I’m talking to Amber.”
William looked at Amber, then back at me. I smiled and dismissed him, turning back to look at Amber.
“I’ll pick you up at seven?”
She looked as if she had been caught with her hand in the cookie jar. That pissed me off. She wasn’t with William. William didn’t love her. I thought she had finally realized that.
“Yes. That’s fine,” she answered, not looking directly at me.
“Great. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
William was still standing there looking at me. “Can I talk to you for a minute?”
I wanted to say no but knew he wouldn’t take no for an answer. In that one way, we were similar. Tenacious didn’t even begin to describe how the Martin men operated. It was as if no was never an option. If we wanted something, we took it, no matter the consequences.
“Sure,” I said and followed him into his office.
I walked in and shut the door behind me. “What’s up, big brother?”
I knew he hated when I called him that. He hated when I refused to be as serious as he was all the time. Life was too short and too good to be so serious all the time.
“What is going on between the two of you?”
“Amber and me?” I asked innocently.
“Yes, you and Amber. This is the second time I’ve seen you here.”
I shrugged, trying to keep it casual. As much as I wanted to stick it to William, I didn’t want to drag Amber into the middle of our feud. Hell, I didn’t even know what our feud was. I just knew we rubbed each other the wrong way. Always had.
“I offered to take her to lunch. She’s busy, so I’m taking her to dinner,” I explained.
He nodded, eying me closely. “Why her? Why are you chasing her? I know you, Harry. You’re up to something.”
I smirked. “I’m not up to anything. We had a good time at the party and then we had lunch together. She’s funny, and we’re just hanging out.”
I could see the jealousy in his eyes, and as much as I knew I shouldn’t be happy to see it, I was. It made me very happy to know I had something he wanted. He was envious of me for what had to be the first time in his life.
“She’s not your type,” he shot back.
“I don’t have a type. You should know that.”
“Yes, you do. You go for easy, ditzy women who will never last more than a week. Amber isn’t that kind of woman,” he argued.
He was jealous. It took a lot for me to keep my mouth shut. The man had used her and tossed her to the side, and now he was lecturing me about doing precisely that.
“She’s really interesting. I like spending time with her. Not all of us are in a rush to get to the altar.”
In an instant, that little hint of jealousy I had detected was gone. In its place was the calm, cool demeanor I was used to. There was no reading him.
“Fine,” he said, and I knew I had been dismissed.
“As always, it was a real pleasure to talk to you, William.”
I walked out and stopped at Amber’s desk. I had planned to say something more, but William had followed me. Instead, I smiled and winked. “See you tomorrow.”
“Bye,” she said with a smile.
I glanced back and saw William glaring at me. Amber was doing a great job at ignoring him. That was a good sign. I left the building, feeling good about our date tomorrow. I was sure she would see it my way. I wouldn’t mind the convincing though.
Now I had to find the perfect place to take her. I wanted something classy, but relaxed. I didn’t want her to compare William and me. I wanted her to forget all about him entirely. I was the man to do that. I planned to treat her like a queen. I remembered hearing her talk about how good he had made her feel. I could do better. He’d kept her locked away like a dirty secret. I would proudly show her off. I didn’t care what anyone else thought about her background or the fact that she worked for a living. Tha
t was what made her unique and interesting.
“You’re a fool, William,” I said to myself, laughing.
Now I only had to convince Amber to take me up on my offer. It would be a win-win for both of us. I didn’t want her to do it just because she wanted to get back at William. I wanted her to do it because she wanted to show him and everyone else she was worthy of a Martin man. Hell, she was too good for any of us. I only hoped she didn’t figure that out.
Chapter Thirteen
Amber
I wasn’t sure what I had been thinking when I agreed to go to dinner with Harry. I had caved under the pressure. The man was a snake charmer. I was usually so much stronger than I had been in the past couple months. The Martin men were my kryptonite. I couldn’t say no to them. It was something I needed to work on, starting tonight. I wasn’t going to sleep with him. No matter how charming he was tonight, I would stand firm in my conviction. I would have dinner with him and then go home to my own bed—alone.
I practiced turning him down while looking in the mirror.
“No, thanks. I have to get up early tomorrow,” I said as firmly as possible.
I put on a smear of light pink lipstick, smacked my lips together, and practiced my other line.
“Tonight was nice, but I think it’s best if we don’t see each other anymore.”
I practiced my facial expressions, wanting to make sure I got it just right. He had to take me seriously. I wasn’t sure how strong I could be if he really tried to convince me otherwise. Every time I thought about the last time I’d let my defenses down, I got hot and bothered. Harry was a master in the bedroom. We had only done the most basic stuff, but he had still made my toes curl. I would never forget that night. I could certainly blame the alcohol, but if I were being honest with myself, there was an animal magnetism that drew me to him. I was like a moth to a flame. It was so wrong and yet so right.
“Don’t even think about going home with him,” I said, scolding my reflection before turning off the light and heading to the living room.
I wanted to make sure I was ready to go the minute he rang the doorbell. I didn’t want to invite him in and risk getting naked with him. I was that worried about my self-control. More like the lack thereof. The fact that the man kept coming around was making it that much harder.
The doorbell rang, and my stomach dropped to my knees. I was nervous and excited at the same time. It was silly. It was just a simple dinner.
“Hi,” I said, opening the door. “I’ll grab my purse and then we can go.”
I turned to grab my purse. When I turned back around, he was inside my living room. His presence was overwhelming.
“Nice place,” he said with a smile.
I gulped. “Thank you. Uh, I’m ready. We can go.”
He was grinning like an idiot. “Relax. I’m not going to make a move. Yet,” he added with a wink.
We walked to his car. I was surprised to see he was driving. William never drove. Harry was the consummate gentleman and opened the passenger door for me.
“Thank you.”
It had been a long time since a man had been so polite. Good manners were hard to come by these days. He drove with practiced ease through the busy streets of Dallas. I half-expected him to whisk me away to a private, out-of-the-way restaurant. God forbid a Martin man be seen out on the town with a woman from the wrong side of the tracks.
When he pulled up to one of the trendiest restaurants in the city, I froze. I suddenly felt nervous, like I wasn’t good enough.
“Here?” I squeaked.
“Yes. Is that okay?”
The valet opened the car door, and I quickly jumped out.
“It’s fine,” I said when he came around to stand by me. “I’m surprised you picked this restaurant.”
He gave me a wink. “They serve great food. You’re going to love it.”
I nodded and let him lead me to the front door, his hand on the small of my back. I expected him to drop it once we walked inside. He didn’t.
“Martin, party of two,” he said, speaking to the hostess.
“Of course, Mr. Martin. We have your table ready for you.”
“Thank you.”
The hostess led us to our table. Harry kept his hand on my back the entire time. It seemed like he knew everyone. People smiled or said hello as we passed. William would never parade me through a busy restaurant filled with his peers.
We sat down, and I released the breath I had been holding.
“Why are we here?” I asked.
“I told you. The food here is phenomenal.”
“You know what I mean. This is your world. Why are you bringing me into your world?”
He smirked. “I’m going to say this one more time, and then I would appreciate it if you didn’t bring it up again. I’m not my brother. I’m not like him. I’m not like my family. I go where I want, with who I want, when I want. I’m not ashamed of you. I like you, and I like hanging out with you. Please, don’t compare me to him.”
I smiled. “I’m sorry. You’re right. I shouldn’t compare you two. You are definitely very different. Thank you for treating me so kindly.”
“There, now that we have that out of the way—tell me everything there is to know about you.”
“I’m not so exciting. I’m a simple girl who grew up in a simple world.”
“Are your parents from Dallas, too?”
“Yes. Born and bred. They own that small diner I told you about. I help them out sometimes. It’s where I was on Sunday. Sunday is rib day, and it gets hectic. They’re kind of famous in our little neck of the city,” I said proudly.
“I want to try these famous ribs.”
I laughed. “I can’t imagine you eating saucy ribs. It’s a messy business.”
“I love ribs. Believe it or not, I can get messy,” he said with a chuckle.
“Well, one of these days you’ll have to stop by,” I said, not committing to anything. “Tell me about you.”
He leaned toward me. “I think you probably know all the good stuff. I’m a bit of a freeloader. I’m not fond of the family business. I like to think I’m a bit of a free spirit—with clipped wings. I like to go with the flow.”
That made me laugh. His self-description was very accurate. The man struck me as a wild animal straining to get free from his cage. He was the same way in bed, very primal. We talked and laughed as we ate some of the best food I had ever had. I could see why the rich people flocked to this restaurant. It was well worth the high prices.
“Amber, I told you I wanted to run something by you,” he said, his tone serious.
“Why am I suddenly worried?” I said, smiling because I thought he was joking.
He wasn’t smiling. He was serious. Oh shit.
“Okay, here goes nothing. Hear me out before you shut me down. Okay?”
I nodded. “I don’t know if I can promise that.”
“I think we should get engaged,” he blurted out.
My eyes bulged, and I nearly choked on the wine I was drinking. I couldn’t have heard him correctly. That wasn’t something a practical stranger said over a casual dinner. He didn’t pull out a ring. I couldn’t have heard him right. Before I made a complete fool of myself, I needed to make sure I had heard him correctly.
“I’m sorry. I don’t think I heard you correctly,” I stammered.
“I said I think we should get engaged. Not real engaged. It would be for show. I only need to convince my family I’m engaged.”
“Why?” I asked, dumbfounded. “You want to lie to your family?”
“I was given an ultimatum. If I can’t prove to my family that I’m settling down, they’re going to cut me off. I don’t want to sound completely shallow, but I like having an income that doesn’t require me to actually go to work. If I tell them I’m getting married, they will see I’m turning over a new leaf. They’ll back off, and I can return to my normal life and you can go back to yours. We’ll have some fun. No harm, no fo
ul. We all come out winners.”
“You want me to pretend to be engaged to you so you can keep your inheritance?” I asked, needing to make sure I was hearing him correctly. “You want to lie to your family, and you want me to help you? Do I have that right?”
“In a nutshell, yes. But it isn’t only me who will benefit. You’ll get to rub it in William’s face. Isn’t that why you slept with me in the first place? Think of the look on his face when he learns we’re engaged. He is going to lose his mind!” he said a little too gleefully.
I blinked. I didn’t know what to say. How did one respond to a fake proposal? There was still a slim chance he was joking. It had to be a joke. He was trying to make me laugh. That had to be it.
“Um, I’m not sure what to say,” I said, struggling to find words.
“Say yes. It doesn’t have to be a long engagement. I need to be fake engaged long enough to prove to my family that I’ve settled down. We can break it off after William’s wedding. They’ll be so wrapped up with William and Tiffany, they won’t even be thinking about me.”
I shook my head. “No, thanks. Is that the right way to turn down your offer to be fake engaged to you?” I said snidely.
“Amber, I didn’t mean to offend you. I thought you would want a way to get back at William.”
I narrowed my gaze at him. “Do you think William will want me if he thinks I’m engaged to you or sleeping with you?”
“What are you talking about?”
“I’m not going to settle for one brother because the first one rejected me.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Settle?”
“You know what I mean. That’s what it will look like. William is going to think I’m ridiculous. He’s going to think I was after his money. He’ll never want to talk to me again,” I said, barely able to control my voice.
“You still want him?” he asked, his voice full of disbelief.
I felt my face get hot. “No, but what if he wants to talk about maybe getting back together later?”
“You’re ridiculous. I thought you had figured it out. He doesn’t want you. You’re not settling for me. I’m not going to take it personally, but you are seriously insulting me.”